Replacing Discovery 3 for BMW i3 Man maths needed
Discussion
Hi All. My wife has been driving a 2006 Discovery 3 for the last few years. It's now on about 155k but still got plenty of service left in it as we've spent a lot on maintenance and upkeep. Some key points;
We live in the Cotswolds which is semi rural. The Disco is a luxury but also very good as my wife is a not a great driver and I feel more confident about her outcome should she get in an accident. She also tends to scuff corners and the unpainted plastic low cost bumpers are a godsend. We also had bad snow last year and the car was fantastic. She blew about 7 tyres in a year in our previous Volvo V70 so replacing with a large 4x4 was an expensive solution to that problem
She does a lot of miles. Mostly short trips but some trips of about 120miles but not many. Approx 15-20k per annum.
The MPG on the readout is about 22mpg which is hurting us on the fuel bill. However the car has finished it's depreciation and will mostly need maintenance which I'd assume to be about £1.5k per year.
We also have a largish Golden Doodle dog and two children.
She has seen an i3 and has been told by a friend they are the best thing since sliced bread. I'm keen on reducing my carbon footprint somewhat and we do have access to 'tip cars' (Volvo V7O estate) so we would not be entirely dependent on the car.
I've looked at leasing new and I don't see how it would save any money. I've not really checked the figures in great details as I just don't see how I could get close to our running costs. Buying second hand appeals to me as this is how I've done all ICE car purchases and I like to DIY for maintenance.
I've seen some higher mileage i3's but worry about buying an early car due to expected further depreciation and concerns about battery replacement out of warranty. Buying and not leasing is my preference so we could run it into the ground and not worry so much about tidying up a car to hand back.
So is there any way I could swap out of a cheap gas guzzler and make a i3 work for us? Not to mention lack of space for dog/family? I know it's a tall order but I assume others have similar dilemmas at this sort of budget. I don't think other PHEVs are suitable for badge snob/cost reasons except perhaps a Mitsubishi Outlander Hybrid PHEV but I'm not sold on that as it's neither fish nor foul.
Any ideas welcome to this confusing topic. Can anyone tell me an approx cost per mile for running an i3? (excluding depreciation)
We live in the Cotswolds which is semi rural. The Disco is a luxury but also very good as my wife is a not a great driver and I feel more confident about her outcome should she get in an accident. She also tends to scuff corners and the unpainted plastic low cost bumpers are a godsend. We also had bad snow last year and the car was fantastic. She blew about 7 tyres in a year in our previous Volvo V70 so replacing with a large 4x4 was an expensive solution to that problem
She does a lot of miles. Mostly short trips but some trips of about 120miles but not many. Approx 15-20k per annum.
The MPG on the readout is about 22mpg which is hurting us on the fuel bill. However the car has finished it's depreciation and will mostly need maintenance which I'd assume to be about £1.5k per year.
We also have a largish Golden Doodle dog and two children.
She has seen an i3 and has been told by a friend they are the best thing since sliced bread. I'm keen on reducing my carbon footprint somewhat and we do have access to 'tip cars' (Volvo V7O estate) so we would not be entirely dependent on the car.
I've looked at leasing new and I don't see how it would save any money. I've not really checked the figures in great details as I just don't see how I could get close to our running costs. Buying second hand appeals to me as this is how I've done all ICE car purchases and I like to DIY for maintenance.
I've seen some higher mileage i3's but worry about buying an early car due to expected further depreciation and concerns about battery replacement out of warranty. Buying and not leasing is my preference so we could run it into the ground and not worry so much about tidying up a car to hand back.
So is there any way I could swap out of a cheap gas guzzler and make a i3 work for us? Not to mention lack of space for dog/family? I know it's a tall order but I assume others have similar dilemmas at this sort of budget. I don't think other PHEVs are suitable for badge snob/cost reasons except perhaps a Mitsubishi Outlander Hybrid PHEV but I'm not sold on that as it's neither fish nor foul.
Any ideas welcome to this confusing topic. Can anyone tell me an approx cost per mile for running an i3? (excluding depreciation)
Edited by Rawhide on Wednesday 8th August 14:51
The maths can work, as the more you drive it the more you save.
1 charge on a economy 7 tarif (virtual, via smart meter) costs me less than £3 and does say 120 miles . It's more like 140 now, less in winter.
15k miles @22mpg and 1.30 litre is £4k. The same in i3 would be about £400.
So potential saving is huge. A 3 year service pack is £280.
I see mine (i have range extender version) as a 2nd car to our xc60 that does the family stuff. And it is brilliant. I still wish sometimes that I had something like a m240i, but then when I look at the overall cost, the i3 makes sense. Plus it is easy to drive, very quick, i have to go to petrol station only very rarely and its just good to live with.
1 charge on a economy 7 tarif (virtual, via smart meter) costs me less than £3 and does say 120 miles . It's more like 140 now, less in winter.
15k miles @22mpg and 1.30 litre is £4k. The same in i3 would be about £400.
So potential saving is huge. A 3 year service pack is £280.
I see mine (i have range extender version) as a 2nd car to our xc60 that does the family stuff. And it is brilliant. I still wish sometimes that I had something like a m240i, but then when I look at the overall cost, the i3 makes sense. Plus it is easy to drive, very quick, i have to go to petrol station only very rarely and its just good to live with.
Edited by covmutley on Wednesday 8th August 16:35
Scuffing the corners of an i3 might work out rather expensive with glass tailgate and sideways parking sensors if you have parking pack (but so manoeuvrable that it might not happen) and you’ll potentially need winter wheels and tyres. Very early i3s have had some expensive repairs - both rex and electric drive trains. The battery itself should be fine for a long time - bmw’s Software really looks after it and I read somewhere that the deterioration rate has been less than expected. Check the space is enough - my daughters hate the i3 (had a rex 2.5 years and 35k miles only used rex for around 500 max). The early cars have winter leccy range around 50-60 miles but 80-90 in summer.
I have had an i3 at the same time as a discovery 4 and have done 300 miles in a day a couple of times in the i3 but it’s painful waiting for chargers to work when doing a lot of miles (even the ccs ones) eg four charges to do 260 mile trip. Getting a later one with bigger battery is advisable but more expensive
I have had an i3 at the same time as a discovery 4 and have done 300 miles in a day a couple of times in the i3 but it’s painful waiting for chargers to work when doing a lot of miles (even the ccs ones) eg four charges to do 260 mile trip. Getting a later one with bigger battery is advisable but more expensive
I think I'd take my chances with the 12 year old Discovery. I've been motoring for over 30 years and my i3 had to go to the dealers more times in the 3.5 years that I owned it than all of my previous cars combined, ending in a REx failure which was the last straw for me before I sold it (I'd originally intended to keep it a fair bit longer).
Mine was ordered in July 2013 and was on the first boat of REx's into the UK so maybe later builds are more reliable but I wouldn't take it for granted that just because it's an EV it'll be ultra reliable.
Space wise, they've done a pretty good job. I think the marketing was 'same external size as a 1 series, same internal size as a 3 series'. My two dogs (both 14kg) went in the back no problem so your golden doodle should be fine.
There's lots of running cost examples in the large i3 thread. I remember going into it in a fair amount of detail years ago when I got mine so if you can be bothered to trawl back through that you should find plenty of good info.
Mine was ordered in July 2013 and was on the first boat of REx's into the UK so maybe later builds are more reliable but I wouldn't take it for granted that just because it's an EV it'll be ultra reliable.
Space wise, they've done a pretty good job. I think the marketing was 'same external size as a 1 series, same internal size as a 3 series'. My two dogs (both 14kg) went in the back no problem so your golden doodle should be fine.
There's lots of running cost examples in the large i3 thread. I remember going into it in a fair amount of detail years ago when I got mine so if you can be bothered to trawl back through that you should find plenty of good info.
Hi,
I ran a BEV i3 for some time as our 2003 Subaru Forester XT was proving expensive on the fuel (super unleaded). We had done 280,000km since buying the Subaru new and although nothing had gone wrong in this time I wanted to reduce the km. We did similar mileage to the OP and lived in a rural location. The Subaru was left for long drives or when we knew we were going off road.
The costs mentioned above seems to be reasonable. In addition the car came with a 10 year / 100,000km service package (which is standard in Switzerland).
I bought a 1 year old car which I think had been previously owned by BMW Switzerland. At the time the depreciation meant quite significant savings and although the lease rate was cheaper on a new car the total lease value was better buying a used model.
As a 'local' run around it was perfect. We had summer and winter wheels / tyres and it was surprisingly good on snow. It's not the most fun drive but I have more affection for it than the 340i that replaced it.
The only change in how I used it compared to the Subaru is that we used to take short-cuts between villages on untarmacced, gravel roads (bit like forestry roads in the UK) and I didn't want to risk having an underbody bash given the battery location.
I would have no hesitation recommending an i3 as long as the needs match what it can do. We only swapped because our needs changed & we really only use the new car for long (250 km+) motorway drives. We have great local public transport and I can walk to most places I need to (we moved to a bigger village in the mountains which prompted the sale).
I think the only question I would be asking myself is whether one of the longer range cars wouldn't be better value. I think the i3 is quite expensive for what it is.
Edit: the above post was written whilst I was penning my note. The i3 wasn't particularly reliable but for us it was always software glitches. Only once we had to call BMW assistance out. When they arrived it started working again (after refusing to move for 2 hours). As mentioned we never had any issues with the Subaru.
I ran a BEV i3 for some time as our 2003 Subaru Forester XT was proving expensive on the fuel (super unleaded). We had done 280,000km since buying the Subaru new and although nothing had gone wrong in this time I wanted to reduce the km. We did similar mileage to the OP and lived in a rural location. The Subaru was left for long drives or when we knew we were going off road.
The costs mentioned above seems to be reasonable. In addition the car came with a 10 year / 100,000km service package (which is standard in Switzerland).
I bought a 1 year old car which I think had been previously owned by BMW Switzerland. At the time the depreciation meant quite significant savings and although the lease rate was cheaper on a new car the total lease value was better buying a used model.
As a 'local' run around it was perfect. We had summer and winter wheels / tyres and it was surprisingly good on snow. It's not the most fun drive but I have more affection for it than the 340i that replaced it.
The only change in how I used it compared to the Subaru is that we used to take short-cuts between villages on untarmacced, gravel roads (bit like forestry roads in the UK) and I didn't want to risk having an underbody bash given the battery location.
I would have no hesitation recommending an i3 as long as the needs match what it can do. We only swapped because our needs changed & we really only use the new car for long (250 km+) motorway drives. We have great local public transport and I can walk to most places I need to (we moved to a bigger village in the mountains which prompted the sale).
I think the only question I would be asking myself is whether one of the longer range cars wouldn't be better value. I think the i3 is quite expensive for what it is.
Edit: the above post was written whilst I was penning my note. The i3 wasn't particularly reliable but for us it was always software glitches. Only once we had to call BMW assistance out. When they arrived it started working again (after refusing to move for 2 hours). As mentioned we never had any issues with the Subaru.
Edited by chandrew on Thursday 9th August 09:22
As others have indicated, the fuel cost of an i3 something less than 2.5p per mile
Servicing, insurance, tyres are comparable to ICE cars of a similar size / cost (the servicing is a scam imo)
Repairs outside warranty and body panels / lights etc. will see very big bills imo
Current lease costs for new ones are much higher than they were a couple of years ago
Some of the used ones look like decent value. I think it is worth paying the extra to get into a newer one with the larger (94Ah) battery, but that depends on mileage requirements really I suppose
The Disco could be good for another 100k miles, or it could go bang in a big way this afternoon. Trying to put an exact cost on the future ownership costs of it could easily be blown out of the water either way on any individual vehicle
I don't think that helps much really, just my musings based on having an i3
Servicing, insurance, tyres are comparable to ICE cars of a similar size / cost (the servicing is a scam imo)
Repairs outside warranty and body panels / lights etc. will see very big bills imo
Current lease costs for new ones are much higher than they were a couple of years ago
Some of the used ones look like decent value. I think it is worth paying the extra to get into a newer one with the larger (94Ah) battery, but that depends on mileage requirements really I suppose
The Disco could be good for another 100k miles, or it could go bang in a big way this afternoon. Trying to put an exact cost on the future ownership costs of it could easily be blown out of the water either way on any individual vehicle
I don't think that helps much really, just my musings based on having an i3
mids said:
I think I'd take my chances with the 12 year old Discovery. I've been motoring for over 30 years and my i3 had to go to the dealers more times in the 3.5 years that I owned it than all of my previous cars combined, ending in a REx failure which was the last straw for me before I sold it (I'd originally intended to keep it a fair bit longer).
Mine was ordered in July 2013 and was on the first boat of REx's into the UK so maybe later builds are more reliable but I wouldn't take it for granted that just because it's an EV it'll be ultra reliable.
Space wise, they've done a pretty good job. I think the marketing was 'same external size as a 1 series, same internal size as a 3 series'. My two dogs (both 14kg) went in the back no problem so your golden doodle should be fine.
There's lots of running cost examples in the large i3 thread. I remember going into it in a fair amount of detail years ago when I got mine so if you can be bothered to trawl back through that you should find plenty of good info.
I've been doing a bit of digging into this as we're looking to get one too. Apparently the REx issue largely relates to the early cars and was sorted from 15-plate cars onwards. It related to water ingress into the control unit but seemed to require a rather costly repair. We're looking at 15-plate onwards so fingers crossed it's not an issue. I suppose there's always a gamble with any new or used car!Mine was ordered in July 2013 and was on the first boat of REx's into the UK so maybe later builds are more reliable but I wouldn't take it for granted that just because it's an EV it'll be ultra reliable.
Space wise, they've done a pretty good job. I think the marketing was 'same external size as a 1 series, same internal size as a 3 series'. My two dogs (both 14kg) went in the back no problem so your golden doodle should be fine.
There's lots of running cost examples in the large i3 thread. I remember going into it in a fair amount of detail years ago when I got mine so if you can be bothered to trawl back through that you should find plenty of good info.
Except plenty did go wrong with the EV part. It had three new LIM units for starters. The total cost of everything was several thousand pounds so I certainly wouldn't want to be running one out of warranty.
I did initally get some wine in the post from BMW to compensate for how long my car had been out of action, and then some chocolates, then some more wine and then got properly compensated with some cash but I'd have much preferred a reliable i3.
I did initally get some wine in the post from BMW to compensate for how long my car had been out of action, and then some chocolates, then some more wine and then got properly compensated with some cash but I'd have much preferred a reliable i3.
I looked at the i3 and Zoe, I ended up choosing the Zoe.
The Zoe has a much bigger boot, seats five rather than four, has proper usable rear doors, has more range, handles better, does not make me feel travel sick (a common i3 issue) and is cheaper, the only significant advantage to me of the i3 was the superior straight line speed.
I am getting between 160 and 185 miles range at the moment, l have had no reliability issues and have done 15k miles in six months for around £80.00 in electricity.
It is a good car and I enjoy driving it.
The Zoe is Europe’s best selling electric car for a reason.
The only problem is that Renault cannot build them fast enough so there is a very long wait for a new one.
The Zoe has a much bigger boot, seats five rather than four, has proper usable rear doors, has more range, handles better, does not make me feel travel sick (a common i3 issue) and is cheaper, the only significant advantage to me of the i3 was the superior straight line speed.
I am getting between 160 and 185 miles range at the moment, l have had no reliability issues and have done 15k miles in six months for around £80.00 in electricity.
It is a good car and I enjoy driving it.
The Zoe is Europe’s best selling electric car for a reason.
The only problem is that Renault cannot build them fast enough so there is a very long wait for a new one.
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